Real Life
by Bakeden
Summary: Bakeden Was crippled when he was hit by a car but now finds a new life in the world of Sword Art Online. The story runs parallel to the first season from the anime but I'll be making changes to the levels and bosses along the way.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, to start, yes I know my username is also the username of my main character. My main character is in no way intended to be me I just happen to like the name a lot. Also this is my first story and I am in no way a writer, I just thought I would give it a try. I've already started a second chapter but don't be surprised if it takes a long time. Reviews are welcome and appreciated, thank you for taking the time to read my story.**

** ~Bakeden**

Username: Bakeden

Height: 180 Cm

Age: 17

Sex: male

Is this correct?

I awkwardly put my hand forward and push the blue accept button. It feels so strange to move within the game, strange, but exhilarating. Two years ago while walking home I had been hit by a drunk driver, it was a miracle that I survived but I ended up paralyzed from the neck down. Now was the first time since then that I have been able to move my arms. I reached forward and pushed the button, there was a slight resistance as my finger came into contact with the button, suddenly the world around me spun and I found myself in the middle of a town, the Town of Beginnings.

WELCOME TO SWORD ART ONLINE

People were milling about not knowing where to go, or forming parties, or talking. I took a deep breath; the air smelled fresh, how long had it been since I smelled fresh air? I got taken out of the hospital every once in a while but we never went far and certainly never to the countryside where I might find air like this.

Suddenly someone rushed past me, someone who knew where they were going. I ran after to catch up and when I finally did I got a good look at him, about my height with short blond hair.

"Do you need something?"

"No I just saw you running like you knew where you were going, were you perhaps a beta tester?"

"Yeah I was"

"Awesome, I'm new here. Would you mind showing me the ropes?"

He smirks slightly, "sure, I can show you how it's done noob"

"Thanks man, my name's Bakeden by the way"

"You can call me Dench" he says giving a huge smile and hitting his chest with his fist. Weird guy, but he seems like a good person.

"Now just let the system take over, it'll make sure you hit your mark"

I relax and am surprised to feel my body lurch forward at an amazing speed and strike the boar in front of me.

"Good job noob!" he lets out a laugh, "that probably would have killed the thing if you were using a real weapon instead of that butter knife".

He motions towards the dagger I hold in my hand as finish of the boar with a few more swipes. I shrug off his comment, I've always preferred daggers and short swords in games, speed is the way to go. Dench on the other hand is wielding a rather large axe and quickly dispatches a boar in a single hit.

"thanks for showing me around Dench"

"No problem man but I've got to go pretty soon, almost dinner time I think" He opens his menu and looks at the clock, "oh shit, it's 6:50, moms gonna be pissed, where is the damn logout button?"

No sooner had he said this then he froze and then burst like a defeated mob. I laugh, I guess his mom got impatient and disconnected him from the outside. Well I should probably be going pretty soon as well.

I open my menu and search for the log out button, that's strange, it's not there. I push the help button but nothing happens. A bug perhaps? Oh well not like I have anything important to do in the outside world anyways. I look around for more boar to kill when a message pops across my screen.

TELEPORTING TO EVENT IN 5 SECONDS

Once again the world whirls around me and once again I find myself in the Town of Beginnings, the main square this time. I look around, it would seem that everyone in the game has been teleported to the event. The sky turns a crimson red and what seems to be blood oozes from it, what a creepy event. The blood slowly comes together to form a figure in the sky.

"Welcome players, I'm sure by now you've noticed the lack of a log out option in the main menu. Let me assure you, this is not an error"

Not an error? What are they thinking? An event like this could be a major setback for SAO. People are literally trapped within the game.

"This is in fact a feature of Sword Art Online, the only way to log out is to beat the game by clearing all 100 levels. If for some reason someone outside attempts to log you out you will immediately die. Also, if you should perish within the game, you will die. Unfortunately many peoples families have tried to log them out by removing the headgear, or unplugging the system, as such over 200 players have already passed on from both this world and the other"

News articles from around the world covered the sky depicting those who had already perished. Wait, then what happened to Dench? Oh god, if this is a joke it is a terrible one.

"In order to improve your experience here in Aincrad we have added an item to all of your inventories, feel free to look at it now"

I pulled up my inventory to find that, in fact, a mirror had been added. I took it out and to my surprise, I saw my face reflected. Not the face of my avatar, but my actual face, I looked around me and it looked as though I was surrounded by a completely different group of people.

"Now you all wear your true faces, stop playing this game and live it! I look forward to your achievements"

With that the figure disappeared, at first everyone was silent. It was as if we were unable to process what had just occurred. _Run! You've got to run!_ I took off running, I've got to get out of here, head to the next town before the others, I've got to survive!

I ran and I ran and the longer I ran, the more I realized that really I wasn't afraid, I was excited. This was my chance, my second chance at life, and I am going to run and fight and I am going to live.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again, it's been a while, honestly I didn't think I would continue this fic but I felt inspired. So from here on out I'm going to try to update regularly.**

**Also, I have no intention of following the floor plan from the light novel or use any of the bosses. **

**-Bakeden**

One month has passed since the release of Sword Art Online, at least that's what people are saying, I haven't really been keeping track. After the event I ran out of the town of beginnings towards what I thought would be the next town but along the way I got lost and ended up in a forest. The mobs there were relatively weak but so was I and it's a wonder I managed to survive so long. Now, a month later I've finally made it to the next town, where I've learned some interesting things… like that everyone has a map that can be accessed from the main menu…

But that's all water under the bridge, since I spent so much time lost in the woods, I've been basically grinding experience for the last month so I'm already at level 15. Also the money from all that grinding didn't hurt either.

When I did get back to town there was a meeting about taking down the first boss so I sat in. some guy with red hair was talking about how beta testers are evil and they should give up all their items, he got silenced pretty quick though. I kind of understand where he's coming from, I mean beta testers definitely did have an advantage over the rest of us, but I hardly see what that has to do with them giving up their items. While lost in thought people started partying up for the attack, everyone seemed to know everyone and soon there was no one left, oh well, solo it is then.

The next day we all head towards the dungeon. We were a rather small group, many of the people who were there yesterday didn't come today and tensions were high. We made it to the boss room without too much difficulty and headed in after saying something about knocking up swords and attacking. Oh well, I'm on my own so it doesn't really apply to me. I draw my blade, it's called a "Small Thorn" as its name implies its well, small, but it's fast and light. When we get inside we trigger the battle, the monster drops from above and pulls out a sword, his title is shown above his head, _Salthas the Snake Master_. Standing about seven feet tall he has red skin and a snake wrapped around his neck. Along with his great sword that he wields effortlessly with one hand, he's quite an intimidating figure. Not that I'm worried, I'm not going to get anywhere near him, my job is to take out the snake guards that he called and who were now also dropping from the ceiling all around. In addition to my dagger I take some herbs out of my inventory and hold them in my off hand.

Parlex grass, I had discovered it while in the forest. When you draw it across your blade it adds a paralysis effect for the next strike. The clump I held would be good for at least twenty uses. I drew my blade across it and dashed towards the nearest guard. Dash is a basic movement skill that allowed me to move quickly in one direction for a short time. I struck out at the guard before it could react with a light slash across his arm but that's all it takes. The guard froze up, the effects don't last long but it's more than enough time for me. I get in close and land ten solid hits on the guard before it explodes into pixels. I draw my dagger across the parlex and look for my next target.

I breathe heavily and check my right hand, maybe enough parlex for another two uses I'll have to be sparing from this point on. I look over to where the others have been fighting Salthas, he's down to his last bar of health, almost in the red zone, hopefully it would be over soon. I take a potion and my health turns from yellow to green but it doesn't restore my energy and I don't know how much longer I can keep this up.

"Watch out for the snake!"

I turn around to see that they've gotten Salthas down into the red zone and the snake around his neck has become active. It strikes out at a nearby player and sinks its fangs into his arm. He screams and shakes it off. He stumbles back and freezes up, paralysis poison? Then after a few seconds he explodes into pixels, the room falls silent. Paralysis and damaging poison? That's not fair, you can't move to take an antidote so you basically just have to stand there, unable to move until you drain to zero.

I see the faces of the players around him distort as they realize what has happened.

Idiots, now is the time to attack before it can use that snake move again. I dash towards Salthas hoping to end it now, we were so close, just a little more damage.

My dash skill runs out about five feet away from him and I'm forced to run the remaining distance. I raise my dagger into the air, then I feel it. A tingling sensation in my leg, I look down to see another snake with its teeth buried in my thigh. No, it wasn't another snake, it was the same snake, just the other end, a two headed snake? Shit I should have paid more attention, I drive my dagger down into the top of its head and rip it off of me.

It's too late, I can feel my muscles stiffen as the poison takes effect…


End file.
